Steam-turbine.



No. 741,385. PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903. E. 0. TERRY.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1902.

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PATENTED OUT. 18, 1903.

E. G. TERRY.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLIUATION FILED 1330.10, 1902.

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PATENTED OGTQ13, 1903. E. G. TERRY.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 10, 1902.

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N0 MODEL.

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N0. 741,385. PATENTED OCT. 13,1903.

' E. G. TERRY.

STEAM TURBINE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 10, 1902. N0 MODEL.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 4.

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E W M 4- M w NITED STATES Fatented October 13, 1903.

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STEAM-TURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,385, dated October 13, 1903.

' Application filed December 10I 1902. Serial No. 134.719. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LEDWARD C. TERRY,a citizen of the United States, residin g at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steam-turbines; and the objects of my improvements are simplicity and economy in construction and efficiency in use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section, partly in elevation, of my turbine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation showing the exterior of a portion of the stationary reversingchambers and connected parts with a broken-out portion in section, the surrounding case of the said chambers being removed. Fig. 3 is a broken-out view of a portion of the wheel looking on the broad side. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the main portion of the wheel. Fig. 5 is an enlarged diagrammatical viewillustrating the movement of the steam in the buckets of the wheel and confronting reversing-chambers. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the wheel and adjacent portion of the case on the line 00 0c of Fig. 8 and on the same scale as Figs. 2, 3, and 4:. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of one of the jets on the line 2 z of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a portion of the wheel and confronting reversing-chamber on the line 3 y of Figs. 1 and 4:. Fig. 9 is a detached sectional view of a portion of one of the wheel-buckets, showing a modification in the manner of fastening the parts together. Fig. 10 is a face View of a portion of my Wheel in a modified form. Fig. 11 is asectional view of the same, together with a portion of the confronting reversing-chambers. Fig. 12 is a developed sectional View of portions of a double wheel of the same construction as Figs. 10 and 11 and confronting reversing-chambers, the plane of sectionbeing indicated by the line 5 s, Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a like view of a'similar wheel, but in a modified form. Fig. 14 is a sectional view of one bucket of the wheel shown in Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 and one confronting reversingcha1nber and jet, the plane of section being indicated by the line t, Fig. 12. Fig. 15

is a sectional view of one of the jets and confronting chamber on the line to u of Fig. 14,

together with a few buckets and reversing chambers in elevation. I

My invention resides in the wheel and the portions immediately surrounding the wheel;' but in order to partly illustrate a complete device I have in Fig. 1 shown my improvement in connection with a case. A designates the main portion of the said case, within which the wheel is mounted on the shaft B. Resting against the flange of the said main portion A is an annular plate 15, followed by a circular plate 16, and annular steam-chamber 17, having flange 18, whereby these parts 'may all be bolted together by means of bolts 19, extending through the said flanges and plates, as indicated by full and broken lines in Fig. 1. The annular steam-chamber is supplied in any ordinary manner-as, for ex ample, by a pipe connected to the connection 21. Mounted on the annular plate 15 there is a circular plate 22, provided with an annu lar rim 23 on one side, which plate 22 is supported concentrically to the annular plate 15 and at a given distance therefrom by any ordinary means-as, for example, connecting bars or posts 24-so as to leave suitable openings. The main portion of the case which surrounds this plate 22 and reversing-chambers hereinafter described is preferably in the form of an expanding scroll-chamber for exhaust-steam, the said chamber ending in a wall 25, having the discharge-opening 26.

The annular steanichamber 17 is provided with passages for the steam-jets 27, closed in any proper m anner-as, for example, by means of the pins 28, as shown in Figs. 2, o, and 7- one of the said passages being indicated by broken lines adjacent to the pin-28. The reversing buckets or chambers 31, that confront the cylindrical edge of the wheel, are supported between the annular rim of the plate 22 and the annular plate 15 of the case, and the jets 27 are arranged to discharge into the wheel from one of the curved side edges of the reversing-chambers. These reversingchambers are formed of plates 30, which form the broad sides thereof, and curved walls 31, which form the side edges of the said chambers, the said curved walls standing at sub stantially a right angle to the said plates and having an approximately semicircular or U- shaped form when viewed in a direction to ICO sides.

show the interior form of the broad side of the said chambers. The said plates and curved walls may be formed integrally or of separate pieces secured together. They are .held in the case by letting the edges of the plates into grooves 32, Figs. 1 and 8, in the annular rim 23 of the circular plate 22 and the confronting portion of the annular plate 15. These chambers are arranged in a circular series, lapping one upon the other in the form of a series of steps, the plates extending from the inner edge of the rim 23 and plate 15 in the directton shown in Figs. 2 and 8 and with the top of the U or broadest part of the semicircular interior of the chambers facing inwardly. Instead of arranging the terminal edge 33 of the plate that confronts inwardly ina line parallel to the axis of the wheel, I slant the said edge 33, Fig. 6, (also shown by broken lines in Fig. 2,) so that the said edge at one of the supporting-plates-the plates 15, as shown-is in advance of the same edge where that edge meets the other one, 22, of the plates upon which the said chambers are mounted. This results in giving the broad sides of these chambers a slightly-warped surface. This terminal edge of each chamber at the side from which the jet discharges is in advance of the same edge on that side of thesaid chamber which receives the steam from the buckets in the wheel by a distance about equal to one-half of the space between two bucket-plates measured at the periphery of the wheel.

I have shown the discharge primary into the exhaust-chamber as through the middle or central portion of the broad sides of the reversing-chambers in the form of crescentshaped openings 34,but whether the discharge be through the reversing-chambers or through the buckets of'the wheel it will be in the cen tral or middle portion of one of the broad The jets 27 are in the form of elbowtubes, the small portion of which constitutes the jet proper, while the cylindrical larger body portion connects the jets proper with the steamchamber and gives room for the ordinary pins 28 or other ordinary means for opening and closing the said jets. The delivery end of these jets merges into the adjacent wall of the reversing-chambers on what may be termed one leg of the U, considering the chambers U-shaped, as shown in Figs. 2, 5, and 6. In the direction of the width of the reversing-chambers-that is, from plate 15 to plate 22the walls are parallel to make them narrow in this direction, as shown in the said Figs. 2, 5, and 6, while the desired expansion or progressive enlargement of the jets toward their effluent end is made by flaring the walls in a direction at right angles to these parallel walls, as shown in Fig. 7.

The wheel has a circular series of buckets of a similar construction and form to that of thereversing-chambers and also placed with the top of the U or greatest dimension of the semicircle at the edge of the wheel to face the corresponding portion of the reversing-chambers, so that when a bucket stops directly in front of one of the reversing-chambers they open mouth to mouth and the two form substantially a circular figure, with a short straight portion 011 two sides, as best illustrated in Fig. 5. The supporting disk-like plates of the wheel have each an annular groove 36 on their confronting faces, and the said plates are provided with slots 37, extend ing inwardly from their edges in a direction obliquely to a radial line. The annular grooves 36 are shown in Figs. 2 and 6 and indicated by broken lines in Fig. 8. Each bucket is formed of a plate 38 and curved wall 39, a portion of the plates 38 being let into the said slots 37, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and as indicated by broken lines 40 40 in Fig. 6. The metal forming the curvedwalls 39 is reduced in thickness toward the outer ends to form the obliquely-extending shoulders 41, which fit into the annular grooves 36 in the wheel-plates 35 and abut against the outer walls of the said grooves to aid in securing the buckets in place. The several buckets, as shown, are additionally secured together by rivets 42, that passthrough two adjacent bucket-plates 38, which rivets are left with a flush head or end on the inner side of a bucket. In Fig. 9 I have shown a modified form of rivet, where the rivet 42" extends through only one bucket-plate and is provided with a hook 44, that takes into an un dercut shoulder 45 in the outer face of the curved bucket-walls 39. This will secure the different curved walls to their respective bucket-plates, and when they are arranged in circular series and fitted together as are the other buckets in Fig. 8 the buckets will be complete and each bucket inclosed 011 two broad sides and its curved edge with its mouth open toward the confronting reversing-chambers. The ends of the curved walls 38 extend to the edge of the wheel, and so also do the edges of the bucket-plates. These may all be turned off even with the edges of the supportingplates35 of the Wheel, and that portion of the edges of the bucket-plates that lie between the curved side walls of the buckets may be rounded off to a sharp edge.

Fig. 8 shows the plates 37, which form the broad sides of the buckets, as curved longitudinally, whereby the space between these plates at their inner ends is very much greater than it could be if the said plates were straight. In fact, by curving the plates in this direction there is so little difference in the distance between their outer and inner ends that they may be said to be practically parallel.

On Sheet 4 of the drawings I have shown substantially the same form of buckets and reversing-chambers as applied to the side or sides of a wheel instead of the edge of the wheel. In this sheet, 43 designates the body portion or plate of the wheel which on one side in Figs. 10 and 11 is provided with two concentric rims 46 with oblique grooves 47 in their confronting faces to receive the bucketplates 38, and between the plates are the curved bucketwalls 39", of the same general arrangement as before described. The reversing-chambers, consisting of plates 30 and curved walls 31, of the same general form and construction before described, are arranged in any suitable supports &8 to confront the buckets of the wheel.

If desired, a series of buckets may be arranged on both sides of a single body portion 453 of one wheel, in which case the said body portion will have the rims 46 on both of its broad sides, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, instead of only on one side, as in Fig. 1.

I11 Fig. 12 the two series of buckets are arranged for simultaneous action, while in Fig. 13 I have shown them as arranged for acting independently, so that the wheel may be driven in one direction by one set and in the reverse direction by the other set. In all of these substantially the same steam-jets 27 as before described may be employed, the same being shown in Figs. ll and 15 in connection with the buckets and reversing-chambers of Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13.

The arrangements and number of the jets may vary as circumstances may require. I have shown them as arranged with one jet for every four reversing-chambers. These jets are cut off in the sectional View, Fig. 8; but I have indicated their position therein by the double broken circles. I have before referred to the discharge as through the buckets of the wheel, in which the same crescentshaped dischargeopenings would be employed, only they would be formed in the bucket; plates instead of in the reversingchamber plates and in the same relation to the curved walls as shown for the said reversing-chambers.

In all of the wheels shown the buckets and reversing-chambers are substantially hollow semicylinders cut at their edges by a plane obliquely to the axis of the said cylinders, the open months at the said out edges forming both the inflow and outflow. Considering the circumference of the wheel as a side, the inflow and outlet of the several buckets are both on the same side of the wheel. The series of buckets are arranged in step form, and the axis of their curved walls is neither parallel to the aXis of the wheel nor cuts into the said axis. 1 have called the chambers of the case reversing-chambers, because that their primary function, and I may here note that the buckets serve a like function in addition to their bucket function in a wheel. The curve, however, of the buckets and of the reversing-chambers and their relations to each other is such that the steam in passing from one to the other follows a circular path in one continuous curve without making any reverse curve. In Fig. 5 I have illustrated one of the buckets 37 Silas stopped directly in front of one of the reversing-chambers 3O 31, with {broken lines and darts .to indicate the flow of the steam. If the bucket were held in this position, the steam flowing in at the jet 27 would travel around, following the curved inner wall 39 of the bucket and then the curved wall 31 of the reversing-chamber, forming what I may call primary steam. The second time around the steam would gradually widen by expansion and follow around inside of the current of primary steam, forming what I may call secondary steam, and so on until it reaches the outlet 3% in the middle or central portion of the chamber 30 31, all as indicated in Fig. 5. In practice, however, the buckets are moving, but the steam in flowing from jet to bucket and bucket to chamber, and so on, follows the path shown in Fig. 5, as well as it can be illustrated, only, of course, one particular bucket is not all the while in front of any one particular chamber.

By means of this form of bucket and chamber placed mouth to mouth for the repeated action of the steam within the same buckets I obtain from awheel with only one series of buckets substantially the repeated use of the steam that is attained by the much more expensive compound wheels.

It is apparent that some changes from the specific construction herein disclosed may be made, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form of construction shown and described, but desire the liberty to make such changes in working my invention as may fairly come within the spirit and scope of the same.

I claim as my invention- 1. A wheel with substantially U -shaped buckets and reversing-chambers arranged mouth to mouth to receive both primary and secondary steam in one and the same bucket acting at the same time.

2. Awheel consisting of twoparallel plates and a series of curved buckets in the form of hollow cylinders arranged in step form one upon the other between the said two plates.

3. A wheel with buckets and reversingchambers of a substantially semicircular form and with the discharge for the steam therefrom at their central portion instead of at a circumferential portion.

4:. A wheel having. discharge openings, buckets and reversing-chambers of substantially semicylindrical shape arranged one upon the other in step form, and a closed chamber surrounding the wheel for confining the steam that escapes from between the buckets and reversingmhambers and compelling the said steam to return through the said space before it can find a free escape.

5. A wheel having the series of substantially U -shaped buckets and confronting reversing-chambers with the jets in a part of the said reversing-chambers and within the mouth thereof, substantially as described.

6. A wheel having a series of buckets and confronting series of reversing-chambers with the terminal edge of the said chambers at the discharge side in advance of the same sisting of two closed sides and the said series of reversing-chambers.

8. A wheel having a series of buckets and reversingchambers, the said buckets and chambers being in substantially the form of semicylinders arranged in step form with the inflow and outlet sides of the said buckets and chambers facing each other.

9. In a wheel, the combination of the supporting-plates having the annular grooves in their confronting faces and slits extending obliquely inward from their peripheries, with bucket-plates having portions let into the said slits, and curved walls between the said bucket-plates, the said Walls having the shoul: ders for engaging the outer walls of the said annular grooves in the supporting-plates, substantially as described.

10. In a wheel, the series of buckets and reversing-chambers, each bucket and chamber consisting of a plate and a curved wall arranged at right angles to the said plate, the said buckets and chambers being arranged one upon the other with the inner edges of the buckets of the wheel and outer edges of the chambers in a step form, and the plates forming the broad sides of the said buckets, extending inwardly from the periphery of the Wheel on a slight curve, substantiallyas described.

11. In a Wheel, the series of buckets and reversing-chambers, each bucket and chamber consisting of a plate and curved Wall, the said buckets and chambers being arranged one upon the other in step form, and expansion-jets in part of the said chambers, with the mouth of the jets extending from plate to plate of the said chambers.

12. In a Wheel, the series of buckets and reversing-chambers, each bucket and chamber consisting of a plate and curved wall in substantially the form of a hollow semicylinder, and expansion-jets in a part of the said chambers, the Walls of the said jets being substantially parallel in the direction of the diameter of the said semicylinder and expanding in the direction of the axis of the said semicylinder.

EDWVARD O. TERRY.

Witnesses:

WVILLIAM O. SKINNER, SIDNEY M. GLADWIN. 

